Cold snap to reach nadir Thursday

Much of Korea will shiver under the sharpest cold of this winter Thursday, with temperatures in Seoul dropping to minus 16 degrees Celsius and remaining well below zero throughout the day.

Morning lows are expected to reach minus 22 degrees Celsius in Cheolwon, minus 20 degrees in Chuncheon, both in the mountainous Gangwon Province and 10 degrees in central cities of Gwangju and Daegu. Midday highs will range between minus 10 to plus 1 degrees, with that of Seoul forecast at minus 8.

Seoulites brave a cold morning while going to work on the first work day of 2013 in Gwanghwamun on Wednesday. (Park Hae-mook/The Korea Herald)

“It will be the coldest day this winter,” the Korea Meteorological Administration said. The current cold spell is due to an icy air mass from Siberia, which moved into the Korean Peninsula before New Year’s Day and will keep its grip on the nation until the weekend, it said.

“Temperatures will begin to climb Friday, but it is expected to remain below the seasonal norm until the middle of next week,” it said.

The bone-chilling temperatures, bitter winds and icy roads slowed life for many on Wednesday, the first working day of 2013.

Seoul reported a morning low of minus 13.1 degrees Celsius, with the wind chill factor dipping further to minus 19 degrees. It was 7.4 degrees lower than the average of previous winters.

Most parts of the country remained under cold spell advisories or warnings.